Callahan stars as Rangers dismantle Flyers

Mar 6, 2011 - 10:39 PM

New York, NY (Sports Network) - Ryan Callahan registered his first career hat
trick, scoring four times, and Henrik Lundqvist stopped all 24 shots to
record his league-leading ninth shutout of the season, as the New York
Rangers handled the Philadelphia Flyers, 7-0, at Madison Square Garden.

It was the first four-goal game by a Rangers player since Marian Gaborik
accomplished the feat on January 19th against Toronto. Gaborik returned to the
lineup after missing the last six games with a concussion, but did not
register a point in 14 1/2 minutes of ice time.

"It was a good feeling. We needed these two points so it was a good time for
me to get my first career hat trick," Callahan said. "A few of them were tap-
ins so I have to credit my teammates."

Callahan also added an assist, while Mats Zuccarello recorded his first-ever
two-goal game for the Rangers, who snapped a five-game slide versus
Philadelphia. New York has won two straight and sits in seventh place in the
Eastern Conference standings with 74 points. Artem Anisimov also lit the lamp
in the win.

Philadelphia now has lost four straight for the first time since an 0-4-1
stretch from March 20-27 of last season.

Brian Boucher started and allowed four goals on 18 shots before being replaced
by Sergei Bobrovsky, who yielded three goals on 18 shots.

Despite the loss, the Flyers, with 86 points are still two points in front of
Pittsburgh for the top spot in the Atlantic Division and two points ahead of
Boston for first place in the East. The Penguins and Bruins are both idle on
Sunday.

"We were not on our game today pretty much from start to finish," Flyers head
coach Peter Laviolette said. "The Rangers had better jump, better pop and they
won the game."

New York got on the board 51 seconds into the contest. After winning the
battle for a loose puck, Brandon Dubinsky gathered behind the net, skated in
front and sent a backhand pass to Callahan, who jammed it home from on the
doorstep.

Callahan then struck for a power-play goal at 12:58 when he fired a wrist shot
over the shoulder of Boucher from an extreme angle below the left circle to
make it a 2-0 game.

The Rangers had a goal waved off early in the second period after video replay
showed Sean Avery used a kicking motion to put the puck in the net, but the
hosts struck for a pair just under 90 seconds apart.

First, it was Zuccarello finishing off a two-on-one rush when he put a wrister
through Boucher at 5:06. Then after Kris Versteeg lost the puck in front of
his own net, Callahan roofed a shot under the crossbar to complete the hat
trick and give his club a 4-0 lead at 6:28.

Callahan re-directed Matt Gilroy's pass home with his stake for his fourth
marker of the game at 4:20 of the third. The goal was reviewed, but upheld
after replay showed no kicking motion.

Anisimov's breakaway tally at 14:41 made it 6-0 and Zuccarello notched his
second of the contest with 1:13 remaining to close out the scoring.

Game Notes

Flyers forward Jeff Carter (illness) missed the game...The Rangers improved to
15-16-3 on home ice this season, while Philadelphia dropped to 20-9-3 as the
guest...Lundqvist now has 33 career shutouts.